The beloved tale that grew into a world-premiere Canadian exhibition

The Man Who Planted Trees: An Immersive Tale opens at the Canadian Museum of Nature

/EIN News/ -- OTTAWA, Ontario, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new exhibition inspired by a timeless story about the importance of trees—and the power of one person to make a difference—has opened at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The Man Who Planted Trees: An Immersive Tale takes visitors through a lone shepherd’s journey as he reforests a barren valley in the French Alps. Scientific content about the essential role of trees in the cycle of life anchor this thought-provoking story. The exhibition will be on view until October 13, 2025.

This world premiere, co-produced by the Canadian Museum of Nature and Montreal-based Supply + Demand, is based on Jean Giono's 1953 tale The Man Who Planted Trees. The story was later adapted for the 1988 Oscar-winning animated short, directed by filmmaker and illustrator Frédéric Back and produced by Radio-Canada. It was narrated by actors Christopher Plummer in English, and Philippe Noiret in French.

The narrative of the exhibition is based on Back's film, with rich scientific additions and activations, as well as interactive multimedia elements. To achieve this engaging mix, the museum partnered with Supply + Demand, a multimedia creative studio with expertise in producing immersive experiences.

“We’re excited to share this story about the importance of trees in a way that is novel and innovative for a museum,” says the museum’s President and CEO, Dr. Danika Goosney. “Trees play a critical role in maintaining a healthy ecological balance, and we hope visitors come away from this experience with a sense of hope and inspiration for a greener future.”

“Our collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature brings a fresh presentation to this beloved environmental story deeply rooted in nature and imagination,” explains Olivier Goulet, founder and CEO of Supply + Demand. “This immersive experience challenged us to expand our creative practice, and we’re delighted to premiere it at one of Canada’s leading institutions—before taking it to global venues to spotlight Canadian art and innovation on the world stage.”

The narrator in the story, The Man Who Planted Trees first meets the shepherd, Elzéard Bouffier, in 1910 near the ruins of an abandoned village where trees had been cleared from the landscape. By the end of the story, the oaks that the shepherd had patiently planted, one acorn at a time, have flourished and restored life to the villages and the land. Trees, guardians of biodiversity, also figure prominently as the heroes of this tale.

Special audio-guide headsets are provided for the immersive experience, which is divided into 20 zones. The headsets are synchronized to visuals from the film, with sounds and effects bringing the story to life, as the visitor walks along the exhibition path. Each zone accommodates four people at a time.

The audio experience combines the artistry of the original film’s narration with the addition of new science-based content developed by the museum’s team, voiced by Montreal actor Juliette Gosselin. Visitors hear about seed dispersal and how a forest is a rich community of plants, animals, fungi and millions of microorganisms, all connected in complex ways.

Each zone in the experience is unique. For example, visitors can look at video through portholes to learn about underground biodiversity, such as the close bond between trees and fungi.

The final zone ends with a 15-foot (4.6 metre) interactive “tree” that responds to hand motion to “light up” leaves and the flow of sap.

Complementing the immersive part of the exhibition is a post-show display with six inspiring stories of individuals and groups who are planting trees, as well as reproductions of specimens from the museum’s National Herbarium of Canada, including white oak, eastern hemlock and tamarack.

The animated film The Man Who Planted Trees, was produced by Radio-Canada and won an Oscar in 1988. Daily screenings of the original film in English and French will run in the museum’s theatre. This is the first time people can see this production in 4K splendour, after it went through a rigorous digitization and remastering process.

The Man Who Planted Trees: An Immersive Tale is included with general museum admission. Timed tickets must be reserved in advance to see this special exhibition.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is located at 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa, Ontario. Admission to the permanent galleries is free on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (supported by Canada Life). The museum is open seven days a week until Labour Day, after which it is closed on Tuesdays for fall and winter.

For more information, visit nature.ca. Check out the museum’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X.

About the Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada’s national museum of natural history and natural sciences. The museum advances the understanding and appreciation of nature through evidence, knowledge, engagement and a sense of wonder. It achieves this through scientific research, a 15-million-specimen collection, education programs, world-class exhibitions, and a dynamic web site, nature.ca.

About Supply + Demand

Montreal-based Supply + Demand offers creative, production and consulting services for immersive multimedia experiences and live events. The studio is at the crossroads between art, science and technology. With over 20 years of experience, Supply + Demand’s core team of artists creates narratively driven content keeping emotion and guest engagement at the forefront of the experiences. More information at supply-demand.ca.

Information for media:

Laura McEwen
Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-698-7142; lmcewen@nature.ca

Dan Smythe
Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-698-9253; dsmythe@nature.ca